On the 20th of July Organise! IWA held a rally in support of our sacked members outside Obsidian Piercing Studio in Church Lane in Belfast. The rally was supported by over 30 anarcho-syndicalists and other trade unionists: members of Organise! IWA, NIPSA, NASUWT and Militant Left and others were there to express solidarity. NIPSA, the Northern Ireland Public Service Association is the north’s largest public service union with members from both its health care and the civil service divisions showing solidarity with the workers who were unfairly dismmissed by Pamela Wilson on the 30th of April. Members of NASUWT, the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers, also attended to express solidarity with the sacked workers. For more background information see articles elsewhere on our campaigns page: https://organiseanarchistsireland.com/category/campaigns/
Simon Richards from Organise! IWA began the open air meeting with an update on the progress of the dispute while Jason Brannigan stressed that the workers were sacked in retaliation for winning an earlier struggle over health and safety. Jason then handed over to Carmel Gates, general secretary of NIPSA stressed the importance of solidarity and health and safety at work for trade unionists and expressed solidarity on behalf of NIPSA for the workers “sacked for taking a stand on health and safety”. Carmel went on to express her confidence that the workers would win their dispute and stated that employers who put their workers and customers safety at risk do not deserve to be operating a business. Next the senior vice-president of NASUWT, Fergal McGuckin, began with stating that while it may seem strange for teachers to be here in solidarity with unfairly dismissed piercing workers that they were there to uphold the fundamental union principle of solidarity among all workers.
Aoife and then Gray, two of the unfairly dismissed workers, then addressed the rally. Aoife thanked everyone for their support in the dispute while Gray addressed some of the misinformation being spread by their former employer, Pamela Wilson. Gray also expressed thanks to everyone who had supported them and declared “we will win!”
The post WE WILL WIN! Union Solidarity Backing Unfairly Dismissed Echo and Obsidian Workers appeared first on Organise Anarchists Ireland.
Source: Organise! Irlande